Only 7% of OB/GYN Clinics Run by Specialists Provide Delivery Services...Infrastructure Collapse Becoming Reality

As of the end of 2024, only 7.6% of clinics nationwide had filed National Health Insurance claims for at least one delivery, according to recent data. Among medical institutions registered as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) clinics, just 11.6% actually performed deliveries. In addition, 8.5% of clinics that were not registered as OB/GYN clinics did not submit a single National Health Insurance claim throughout 2024. The study also found that 42.4% of clinic-level medical institutions run by OB/GYN specialists do not even use the term "OB/GYN" in their official name.
On the 30th, Representative Seo Young-seok of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly released the findings of a study commissioned to Ubuntu Health Policy Lab. As of the end of December 2024, there were a total of 2,291 clinic-level medical institutions where an OB/GYN specialist was working full-time (32 hours or more per week). Of these, 1,320 clinics (57.6%) were registered as OB/GYN clinics. The remaining 971 clinics (42.4%) were being opened and operated under other medical departments or as general clinics, despite employing OB/GYN specialists. This indicates that many OB/GYN specialists are shifting their practice away from their original specialty due to structural challenges such as low reimbursement rates and the high risk of medical malpractice.
Among the 971 clinics run by OB/GYN specialists but not registered as OB/GYN clinics, 83 clinics (8.5%) did not file a single National Health Insurance reimbursement claim in 2024. According to the research report, these institutions are likely focusing mainly on non-reimbursed, out-of-pocket services. The report concluded that this trend calls for a policy response from the government in terms of managing and planning health-care resources.
The situation was not much better even for clinics registered as OB/GYN clinics. Of the 1,320 OB/GYN clinics included in the analysis, only 153 clinics (11.6%) submitted at least one National Health Insurance claim related to deliveries in 2024.
Representative Seo Young-seok stated, "This is the result of multiple factors piling up, including low reimbursement rates, the heavy burden of medical malpractice risk, and the need for 24-hour on-call coverage for deliveries concentrated on a small number of staff." He added, "We need comprehensive reforms of the delivery service system and the overall reimbursement structure. We will continue to pursue policy alternatives, including broader use of various professionals such as midwives."
Seo has also taken legislative steps on this issue. He previously introduced an amendment to the Medical Service Act that clarifies the duties of midwives and supports training of midwifery personnel, which passed the National Assembly plenary session in September last year.

wonder@fnnews.com Jung Sang-hee Reporter